Atharva Veda 4.39.4: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 4

Sukta 39

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं धे॒नुस्तस्या॑ वा॒युर्व॒त्सः । सा मे॑ वा॒युना॑ व॒त्सेनेष॒मूर्जं॒ कामं॑ दुहाम्। आयुः॑ प्रथ॒मं प्र॒जां पोषं॑ र॒यिं स्वाहा॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.39.4

IAST Transliteration

antárikṣaṁ dhénus tásyā vāyúr vatsáḥ | sā́ me vāyúnā vatséneṣám ū́rjaṁ kā́maṁ duhām | ā́yuḥ prathamáṁ prajā́ṁ póṣaṁ rayíṁ svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Mid-air is a milch-cow; of her the Wind is the calf. May she, for me, by Wind as calf, milk forth refreshment, sap, and desire—life first, then offspring, thriving, and wealth: svāhā.

Translation

អាកាសកណ្តាលជាគោដែលឲ្យទឹកដោះ និងខ្យល់ជាកូនគោរបស់នាង សូមឲ្យនាង ដោយខ្យល់ជាកូនគោ រួមទឹកដោះឲ្យខ្ញុំនូវភាពស្រស់ស្រាយ ជីវិសាល និងបំណងប្រាថ្នា គឺជីវិតជាមុន បន្ទាប់មកកូនចៅ ភាពរីកចម្រើន និងទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ ស្វាហា។

The meaning

What it says

The atmosphere (antarikṣa) is envisioned as a milch-cow, with Vāyu as her calf. Through Vāyu, she is asked to ‘milk’ nourishment, strength, desire, then life, progeny, thriving, and wealth; sealed with svāhā.

The inner meaning

Breath (vāyu) is the ‘calf’ that stimulates the cosmos to yield nourishment. By regulating breath, one draws vitality, motivation, and generativity from the surrounding field of life.

The truth in it

Sustenance is relational: when the right ‘extractor’ (skill, rhythm, breath) is applied, the world yields its gifts. Life-force is renewable when we align with natural cycles.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Bhaisajya-adjacent (vitality, longevity)

Its aim

To ‘milk’ nourishment, strength, fulfilled desire, longevity, progeny, prosperity, and wealth from the atmospheric region through the agency of Vāyu (breath/wind).

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Word by Word

Pada patha

अन्तरिक्षम् । धेनुः । तस्याः । वायुः । वत्सः । सा । मे । वायुनā । वत्सेन । इषम् । ऊर्जम् । कामम् । दुहाम् । आयुः । प्रथमम् । प्रजाम् । पोषम् । रयिम् । स्वाहा ।

अन्तरिक्षम्

the mid-air, atmospherethe mid-air/atmosphere; the intermediate cosmic region conceived as a milch-cow (source of nourishment)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनRole Karma (as object of implied ‘is/exists’ in identification) / Adhikaraṇa (sense: ‘in the midspace’)Root अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)

धेनुः

the cowmilch-cow; a giver of abundance (metaphor for a yielding cosmic source)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (of implied ‘is’)Root धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)

तस्याः

of her / of that (cow)of her (of that cow = the atmosphere)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वायुः

windWind (Vāyu), the life-breathing power; here the ‘calf’ that draws out the yieldNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (of implied ‘is’)Root वायु (प्रातिपदिक)

वत्सः

calfcalf; the extractor/receiver that makes the cow give milk (ritually: the means of obtaining boons)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (in identification: ‘is the calf’)Root वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

सा

shePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (of दुहाम्)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

मे

for me / myfor me, to me (the sacrificer/reciter)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary: ‘for me’) / SambandhaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वायुनā

by/with the windwith/through Vāyu (instrumental: by the agency of wind/breath)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वायु (प्रातिपदिक)

वत्सेन

by/with the calfwith the calf (instrumental: with the extracting agent)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

इषम्

nourishment, foodrefreshment, food, desired nourishment (iṣ: ‘invigorating provision’)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole Karma (object of दुहाम्)Root इष्/इषा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘refreshment, food’)

ऊर्जम्

vital strength, energysap, strength, vital energy (ūrj: sustaining power)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘strength, sap’)

कामम्

desire, wishdesire, wish, the sought-for object (kāma as boon)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot काम (प्रातिपदिक)

दुहाम्

may (she) milk/yieldlet her milk out; may she yield (optative/benedictive force)Verbलोट् (Vedic injunctive/benedictive use), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Vedic: ‘may she milk’)Role governs कर्म: इषम् ऊर्जम् कामम्Root √दुह् (दुहँ प्रपूरणे/दोहने)

आयुः

life, lifespanlife-span, vital duration (a primary boon)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनRole Karma (additional object of ‘yield’) / intended boonRoot आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रथमम्

first, foremostAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with आयुः in sense) / adverbial accusativeRole Viśeṣaṇa (of आयुः) / adverbialRoot प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रजाम्

offspring, progenyoffspring/progeny; generative continuityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)

पोषम्

prosperity, thrivingthriving, prosperity, increase (paustika increment)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पोष (प्रातिपदिक)

रयिम्

wealth, richeswealth, substance, movable goods (rayi as material prosperity)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रयि (प्रातिपदिक)

स्वाहा

svāhā (hail!, ritual acclamation)svāhā-call; sealing/consummating exclamation for offering and successful conveyanceIndeclinableअव्यय (exclamation used in offerings/benediction)Role — (mantric exclamation)Root स्वाहा (निपात/मन्त्र-शब्द)

Sandhi Notes

• अन्तरिक्षम् | धेनुः | तस्याः | वायुः | वत्सः | सा | मे | वायुनā | वत्सेन | इषम् | ऊर्जम् | कामम् | दुहाम् | आयुः | प्रथमम् | प्रजाम् | पोषम् | रयिम् | स्वाहा । मुख्य संधि/संयोग:
• (1) धेनुः तस्याः → visarga before dental: धेनुस्तस्याः (written as धे॒नुस्तस्या॑)
• (2) वायुः वत्सः → visarga before v: वायुर्वत्सः
• (3) मे वायुनā → enclitic मे + following word (no phonetic change, continuous recitation)
• (4) वत्सेन इषम् → वत्सेनेषम् (e + i → e, with y/avagraha not shown in Saṃhitā style)
• (5) इषम् ऊर्जम् → इषमूर्जम् (m + vowel coalescence in saṃhitā writing)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution for AV 4.39; commonly Atharvan/Angiras-type seer lists—edition-dependent).

Devata

Antarikṣa as dhenu (cosmic source) with Vāyu as operative deity (calf/extractor).

Chandas

Mixed/prose-like anuṣṭubh cadence (Atharvanic style; not strictly metrical throughout).

Rasa

Shanta and Adbhuta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions